chocolate brownies -low fat and low carb recipe

 These brownies are low fat,low calorie and are packed with goodness of a popular bean that you can never guess was used in the preparation .,great for kids and good for your sweet tooth
so lets take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:
eggs : 2
garbanzo beans/chickpea-2 cups
chocolate chips/low fat chocolate-1/2 cup
agave nectar -1/4 cup,add more  or less sweetener according to your preference.
vanilla essence- 1 tsp
baking powder- 1 tsp

Method :

• start by preheating your oven to 350 degree F
• In a large mixing bowl add two eggs
•  add garbanzo beans,these are soaked overnite and cooked,you can use the canned the once . 
• using a blender make a smooth paste of the above two,keep aside.
• In a separate bowl measure out chocolate chips ,you can use sugar free low carb dark chocolate if available.
• microwave the chocolate  for 2 to 3 minutes stirring every minute and mix with the bean and egg paste 
• combine everything well,the chocolate or chocolate chips that you use will contain some sweetness so according to that adjust the amount of sweetness in the recipe ,used here is agave nectar you can substitute with sugar 
• now add in vanilla and baking powder. whisk  until fully incorporated 
• transfer to a greased casserole dish or baking pan and bake for 30 to 45 minutes 
•  let cool ,slice and refrigerate, serve chilled .
• always remember to do the toothpick test once the brownie is baked,it should come out clean

Here is a quick video tutorial:

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microwave chocolate-5 minutes recipe

 Homemade chocolates ,ready in minutes and great as a gift.These were yummy,soft and chewy.I made a small batch ,Which yielded  about 25 pieces - all by the way,vanished in thin air before  the weekend...a note to myself  next time,make an even smaller batch.

 Update : We  visited India this year and I made a big batch as gift for relatives ,everyone just loved it and kept asking me the recipe .Hope you all enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them .

ingredients:
1/4 cup: evaporated milk
1/4 cup:powder sugar
1/2  to 1 tbs butter(change to preference)
1/4 cup chocolate chip
1/4 cup almond powder

Recipe

• Microwave the milk and sugar for 2 minutes,no need to stir .
• add butter and chocolate chip microwave another 2 minutes stirring every 30 sec.
• add almond powder,if runny microwave 1 more minute and do the drop ball test as follows
• In a bowl full of water drop the chocolate paste and look what happens ,if the chocolate settles on the bottom ,you are able to pick it up and roll into a ball then its good, but if it dissolves right away then the paste needs some more microwaving
• once cool cover with plastic wrap and refrigerated for a minimum of 2 hours
• once cool shape into desired size,these can be made into truffles or can be molded into fancy shapes
• Enjoy with your loved ones.

Note: I bought the molds from eBay -I don't remember the seller but it's called silicone candy molds .Just go to eBay and type the name .
Here is a quick video tutorial:

Microwave carrot halwa/pudding-low fat recipe

 Traditional carrot halwa or Indian style carrot pudding is a time consuming recipe and  often is loaded with fats,here is a shortcut microwave version that can be put together in minutes and is way less in calorific value.
  This is my 'run to' recipe when craving for sweets.The sweetener used here is agave, which is known to be very low in glycemic Index and is plant based ,so no artificial chemicals. perfect for your sweet tooth and your diet too. 1 tsp butter can be substituted with low fat butter ,but then-it's only human to crave for the melt -in- mouth buttery taste,so I'd rather not .Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:
carrots-3                                                                      
milk-1/2 cup
butter-1 tsp
agave-1/6 cup or sweetener of your choice.
cardamom- couple pinches
almonds -few

Recipe:

• Wash,wipe and grate carrots
• add the milk in ,and microwave for 6 minutes
• add in the butter mix well and microwave for 6 to 7 more minutes,
• by now the carrots must be mushy,if not then cook for an additional minute or so until it resembles the consistency of pudding or halwa
• remove from microwave add in the cardamom powder and the agave or sweetener of your choice 
•  microwave a final time for 3 minutes.do not overcook the halwa once the sweetner is added.
• Toast some almonds in the microwave for 40 seconds stirring every 20 sec, add to garnish .

Here is a quick video tutorial:

Low fat blueberry scones-eggless recipe

These blueberry scones were soft and had a beautiful crumbly crust ,I paired them up with cardamom flavored evening tea and they were just lovely .

Ingredients:                                                            
Makes 8 medium size scone        
unbleached all purpose flour:1 cup
whole wheat flour:1 cup
butter:4 tbs or 1/4 cup
baking powder:1/2 tsp
baking soda:1/3 tsp
salt:1/4 tsp
sugar:3-4 tbsp(I used whole cane sugar)
milk :3/4 cup

• start by preheating the oven 375F
• line a baking tray with parchment paper,spray with oil or grease with butter
• measure the flour in a large bowl ,add salt and sugar.
• add in the baking powder and soda mix everything well
• cube the butter into small pieces and add it into the flour 
• using the tip of your fingers incorporate the butter into the flour until it forms a crumbly mixture(we don't want the butter to melt,hence,tip of fingers 
• keep the mixture a bit lumpy ,do not over work the dough,this lets it fluff up really well
• add in the blueberry-TIP-use frozen blueberry ,I had them fresh but I threw them in the freezer for 20 minutes,this helps butter in the mixture to stay intact and not melt
•  now pour in the milk slowly, stirring the mixture all the while with a fork,until everything starts to come together
• transfer to the greased sheet and shape round like a pizza disc.
• cut into triangles and brush with some milk
•  bake for 20-25 minutes on 375f until the crust is all golden brown.
• serve warm

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Four spice tea recipe

This four spice tea is often made using dry ginger in place of fresh ginger in almost every south Indian household ,especially in flu or cold season .The Ayurvedic property of the spices added in this blend also make this tea excellent for health.

Makes 2 cups 

Ingredients:

coriander seeds:1 tsp

whole pepper corn : 5 

ginger: 1 inch

green cardamom : 2

Recipe:

• Begin by dry roasting the above spices other than ginger 
•  meanwhile bring 2 cup of water to a boil in a saucepan 
• let the spices cool down and grind to a coarse powder 
• crush the ginger and add all the ingredients to the boiling water 
• let this boil to a roll for 5 to 6 min
• strain the tea and add honey or sweetener of your choice 
• add milk if desired  

The coriander seeds have a cooling property in Ayurveda and when combined with ginger they are know to provide relief from cold and flu .This calming and soothing tea also is beneficial for the kidneys to function well .

Here is a quick video tutorial 

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Adhirasam recipe

A festival delight made out of freshly ground rice flour and jaggery offered to the Gods.As far as I can remember my grandma used to make these the best.....crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.lets have a look on the ingredients:

2 cups raw rice
1 cup jaggery
1tsp cardomom powder
oil for deep frying

Although the ingredients list is simple enough the recipe takes a little patience as the consistency of the dough directly influences the final product,take care to batch test if uncertain .

Recipe:

• start by soaking 2 cups of rice for about 2 to 3 hours
• drain and spread over a kitchen towel to get dry for about 20 minutes.
• heat 1 cup of jaggery in about 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil.simmer until the syrup is thick enough to settle in the bottom of a bowl filled with water 
• Return to the rice and make sure it is only a three fourth part dry and still has some moisture,make a coarse powder of this .
•  Add cardomom powder and the jaggery syrup,mix everything slowly and thoroughly  to get a smooth dough .For best result let this sit for 24 hours before proceeding further
• Next day take a small portion of the dough and shape it like a puri on a sheet ,use a little oil if sticky.
• carefully drop this into preheated oil and fry until golden brown.
• Enjoy

Here is a quick video tutorial:

Tips : 

1. If the next day the dough tends to be dry add a little milk 
2. Do not refrigerate the dough 
3. If the adhirasam breaks apart this means the jaggery syrup was too thin.
4. If the product is too hard it means the rice flour had no moisture(I remember making real hard once two years back out of store bought rice )"FRESH" ground rice with some moisture is the key.also let it sit for 24 hrs minimum.

Wishing all happy festival season!

Thank you for visiting !

Ada Pradhaman recipe

"Pradhaman" in Malayalam means number one ,and it is so for a good reason ! unlike its counterpart 'payasm' or 'kheer' ada pradhaman is made elaborately using a variety of ingredients on the occasion of OnaSadya ,which is a banquet arranged for the celebration of onam festival in kerela.
  The recipe itself can be divided into two parts ,first being the preparation of ada and second -preparation of pradhaman .There are ready-made ada available in the market but you can sure tell the difference when its homemade .

For Ada:
rice-1/2 cup
banana leafs - cut into small portions
water

preparation of Ada :
(makes apprx 1 cup )

• Soak rice for about 4 hrs 
• make into a thick paste using very little water at a time 
• clean and pat dry the leaves and spread the  batter on top like a dosa,leaving enough space on the corners 
• Roll up carefully and tie with a string 
• steam cook for about 10-15 minutes 
• remove from the streamer using tongs and let cool
• Once cool open up the leaves and sprinkle with a little water to make the ada stop sticking 
• using a sharp knife start making horizontal and vertical lines on the sheet and remove carefully
• This is our base for the pradhaman lets proceed with the recipe

Notes: The ada will be sticky due to starch content,dip your fingers in oil before handling the sheet to make it easy to work with

For pradhaman :

(makes 2 medium servings)

1 cup ada
1/2 cup crushed jaggery(or adjust to your taste)
1 cup thick coconut milk
seeds of 3 cardamom-crushed
nuts and dry fruits of your choice

• Bring the jaggery to a boil along with 1/4 cup of water.filter if you feel there are impurities .
• add 1 cup ada and boil for 5 minutes 
• add the coconut milk simmer for 5 minutes 
• finally add the crushed cardamom and turn of the heat
• top with your favorite nuts and dry fruits toasted in ghee  .

Notes: the traditional recipe calls only for coconut milk but one can use part milk and part coconut milk or any proportion to their liking and taste . 

Here is a quick video tutorial:

Thank you for visiting greenhouse cuisine .

Wishing everybody a happy 2012!

paal kozhukattai recipe

A south Indian delicacy often prepared during festivals and offered to the Gods as naivedyam. Traditionally jaggery is used to sweeten the dish but this recipe uses agave ,feel free to substitute any sweetener of your choice.

Ingredients :
1/2 cup raw rice
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup coconut
cardamom seeds from 3 pods


Preparation of  rice for kozhukattai : (can also be used as regular kozhukattai shells)

• soak 1/2 a cup rice for an hour and grind into a paste,this should resemble the consistency of idli batter  .
• heat a non stick pan on medium flame, transfer the paste ,add salt if desired and stir continuously .
• As the water starts to evaporate you will find that the paste of rice turns into a lump.This should not take more than 5 min.Let this cool.
• meanwhile prepare coconut milk by adding 1/4 cup warm water along with 1/4 cup of coconut in a blender for few minutes.strain and keep aside.
• The dough should by now be cooled and ready to work with.Take very little portions and shape into balls,remember these will expand further when boiled in milk ,so try keep them tinier than you actually want them to be.
• bring together the milk and the coconut milk in a pan ,let simmer add the kozhukattai one by one.do not stir.
• add the sweetener
• Now stir gently taking care not to break the kozhukattai.you will know that they are done once they start to float on the top.which will not take more a few minutes
• finally add the crushed seeds of cardamom stir well and turn off the heat .
• Paal Kozhukattais are Ready for the offerings .

Notes:If you want to make this all milk and no coconut it will still taste wonderful.

The rice dumplings make the milk thicker so if you want to have it like payasam then add more milk and sweetener.

Here is a quick tutorial :

Let the festival you are celebrating be an auspicious one! 

Thank you for visiting Greenhousecuisine! 

zucchini double chocolate muffin recipe (low fat)

These muffins are so yummy and have..... zucchini ! really?.Try for your self ,moist and fluffy just like any delicious choc-chip muffin but minus all the extra fat calories plus we get our serving of veggies!
  This recipe also is Eco friendly as it uses seasonal and fresh zucchini ,also muffins are a good way to save energy as they just take 20 minutes to bake as compared to 45 minutes of baking a cake.

Makes a dozen muffins
Dry Ingredients
1 cup oat meal( make your own by processing old fashion rolled oats )
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (Bob's red mill brand is recommended)
1/4 cup semi sweet choc chip (or more as per your preference )
3 tbs coco powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients
1/4 cup agave nectar or sweetener of your choice
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 medium size zucchini shredded
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbs oil

Recipe:

• preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with paper cups
• Whisk together the agave,egg and oil
• Add milk and shredded zucchini to the above 
• In a separate bowl combine all the dry ingredients except for choc chips.Make a well in the center.
• pour in the wet ingredients and mix until well combined (use a hand mixer if available) 
• Add in the choc chips.
• fill in the muffin cups with the mixture about 3/4 the way .
• finish topping each muffin with a few choc chips
• Bake for 20 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean

Here is a quick video:

These muffins can be easily made into cup cakes by omitting the choc chips and using your favorite frosting.Stores well up to 2 days when refrigerated  .Enjoy them with a cup of warm milk.

Thank you for visiting my blog !

Apple turnovers recipe (low fat)

  Delicious cinnamon and apple filling wrapped in a crispy and flaky cover , these turnovers are meant to win over your heart.Traditionally puff pastry sheets are used for wrapping the apple mixture but here phyllo dough  has been used which is way lighter in terms of calories .Always remember to Defrost the frozen phyllo sheets in refrigerator the night before you wish to make the turnovers .

INGREDIENTS:

(makes 8 turnovers)

• Apples - 2 
• phyllo dough sheets - 8   
• butter or oil - 3 tbs
• cinnamon -1tsp(adjust according to taste)
• salt - 1/4 tsp
• agave or sugar - 3 tbs (adjust according to taste)  
• corn starch - 2 tsps.

METHOD:

• Peel , core and chop the apples.
• Add the chopped apples ,cinnamon,agave and salt in a bowl and mix well.
• Heat a pan and add 1/2 tbs of butter, bring in the mixture and cook untill the apples are soft.
• mix corn starch in about a tbs of water and add it to the mixture ,this will help thickening.
• cool completely.This apple cinnamon mixture can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated to save time.
• microwave the remaining butter.
•  Brush each sheet of phyllo with butter(other than for the crust I used oil sprayer pump to cut down few more calories)
• Fold the sheet in half and then again into half,making four layers of sheet .
• Place about two tbs of the apple mixture in the very corner of the sheet and start folding to form a triangle .
• Make sure to brush between each fold.
• Place the turnover in a tray and bake in a preheated oven at 375f for 20 mins or untill the crust turns golden .flip at 10min interval.
• Let cool and serve .

Enjoy the sweet aroma of cinnamon invading every corner of your apartment even before you take the first bite of this delicacy .Hope you enjoy this recipe with a steaming cup of coffee or chai.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Mango Kulfi Recipe

Aloha everyone,
The summer is on ! this time a furious one ,which means its time for frozen delites .Here is a simple recipe for mango Kulfi which you can make at home to beat the heat .Presenting  two different methods for the recipe .

# 1 The quick and easy method

Makes about 12 small size Kulfi

Ingredients :

• condescend milk or evaporated milk - 1 can
• pulp of 1 mango
• 1/4 cup of sugar or sweetener of your choice ( check whether  the condescend milk is sweetened  if so reduced according to taste )
• cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Mix together all the above ingredients and pour into the mold and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving . This is a modern method but in case if  you don't want to use condescend or evaporated milk then follow this recipe instead :

# 2 The Traditional method

makes the same quantity as above

Ingredients :

• Milk :2 cups(2% fat milk is fine but whole milk works the best)
• 1/2cup of sugar or sweetener of your choice
• corn starch -2 tsp
• cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• pulp of one mango

In a thick bottom pan boil  milk on a low to medium flame, until it reduces to half  the volume ,now add the corn starch which will further thicken the milk,keep stirring the milk through out the processes .Add sugar and stir for few more minutes .once the mixture attains a paste like texture turn off the heat ,add mango pulp and cardamom powder .Allow the mix to cool completely before transferring to the molds .Freeze and enjoy

Thanks for visiting my blog !

Walnut and Banana loaf cake

hello friends!
 Craving for a dessert?try out this simple, no butter (yes none at all) loaf cake recipe that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth and at the same time goes easy on your diet .
  Banana and walnut are one of the perfect combinations that can be categories as comfort food .Follow the recipe below for a great tasting healthy treat.



      Ingredient list:
      will make one loaf

• wheat flour: 2 cups( I used whole weat flour)
• eggs : 1
• walnuts:1/4 cup
• banana :2 no.
• Milk    :1/4 cups
• vanilla essence :1tsp
• baking powder:1tsp
• baking soda:1/2 tsp
• agave or sugar :1/4 cup
• oil :1 tsp or cooking spray for greasing the tray

     Recipe:

• Step1- preheat the oven at 375f
• Step2-grease the loaf pan with cooking spray  
• step 3-Blend the wet ingrdients to a paste,if using sugar then blend it too.

• Step 4-measure out flour in a bowl ,add baking power and baking soda .
• Step 5 - pour the wet mix in the bowl and fold in well ,don't over work the batter .If the batter feels stiff use some more milk
• Step 6- add the 1/4 cup of walnut
• Step 7- bake for 30min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

The batter should be light and fluffy which ensure a soft and supple cake .Trick here is correct measurements ,if too much moister is added then the cake will be sloppy-and if too dry then the cake will be stiff -believe me when I say that ,coz I've had it all !
I don't like to add butter or oil in this recipe because the smooth paste of banana and egg imparts the much desired spongy texture to the cake, making it just melt in the mouth.
Walnuts are a good source of omega 3 and contain the good fats although one can always substitute it with nuts of their choice,feel free to experiment .Once I baked this loaf cake with choco chip and it turned out yummy.
The batter can also be poured into muffin pan which is a easy snack to go.This loaf cake is one of our favorite things to pack on an outing ,they stay fresh up-to 2 days if refrigerated.
I hope that you found this recipe helpful and interesting enough to give a try .
Thank you for visiting my blog.

Smoothie

Hello friends

The climate has been super sunny  for the past few days which means super cool smoothies are back in season.Healthy and refreshing , smoothie is the best way to keep our bodies hydrated but some store bought ones can seriously shoot up the sugar level and have lots of artificial flavoring .This recipe is an attempt to make a lighter version of the entire nations favorite summer drink-Fruit Smoothie 

Makes two Tall glass 

Ingredients:

blueberries :            1/4 cup

Strawberry :            1/2 cup

banana :                  1 

milk :                       1 cup

vanilla essence :       1/2 tsp

agave/honey /sugar :as per taste 

One can easily add or omit  fruits as per preference but remember some fruits ,citrus in particular don't go well with milk .The sweeting part also is totally up to one's taste.In this recipe i have used agave nectar because it is very low in GI ,you can substitute with honey or any other sweetener or none at all.

Recipe:

1)slice the bananas and strawberries and place in the blender

2)add blueberries ,chilled milk and vanilla

3) pulse on and off till well blended

4)add the required amount of sweetener

5)pour in a tall glass 

for the topping on glass

6)slit a strawberry on the end and fix it on the rim of glass 

7)serve chilled 

The milk used here is fat free ,as I earlier mentioned this is a lighter version but you don't have to be paranoid like me use whole milk if you wish that will make the smoothie even more tasty ,also I cheated with the blueberries and banana both were frozen but they tasted none the less .I hope that you enjoy and try this recipe out, to beat the heat off -all summer long!

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